The Kuminga domino is starting to move in the direction we anticipated. The Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks are in talks about a possible sign-and-trade deal that would bring Jonathan Kuminga to Los Angeles with Jaden Hardy heading the opposite direction to Georgia, according to reports from U.S. media. The agreement is still in development and, due to its complexity, could require the participation of a third team.
Why Atlanta Remains in the Picture
The presence of the Hawks makes contractual sense, and it's worth explaining because it's the key to everything. Although Atlanta declined Kuminga's option in June and left him as a free agent, they retain his Bird rights, which allows them to sign him and trade him immediately: this is the sign-and-trade mechanism. For the player, the difference is in cold hard cash: through this route he can receive a larger contract than the Lakers, without salary cap space, could offer him directly. For Atlanta, the reward is not letting him walk away for nothing and recovering an asset, in this case young shooting guard Hardy.
The Goal of the Entire Lakers Summer
For the Lakers, this would be the culmination of a declared pursuit. The Congolese wing has been their top target since July, when they signed Ziaire Williams without giving up on him, and his name was narrowed down last week to two realistic destinations, Los Angeles and Minnesota, after the Cleveland deal with Watson fell through. The Lakers front office is seeking the athletic and defensive complement that their roster desperately needs alongside Luka Dončić, the shortcoming we highlighted in our Western Conference review.
There remains the usual caveat: this is a negotiation rumor, without an agreement, and with Kuminga this summer conversations have died as many times as they've been born. But this is the first time the Lakers path has taken concrete form, with names and mechanism. The market, after Watson, Harden, and DeRozan, is running out of its final chips.